Using Benchmarking Data to Improvement Student Retention: What One College Did With The National Community College Benchmarking Project Data

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Using Benchmarking Data to Improvement Student
Retention What One College Did With The
National Community College Benchmarking Project
Data

• Terri M. Manning, Ed.D.
• Brad Bostian
• Central Piedmont Community College
• Charlotte, NC

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Withdrawals Have Been a Problem

• For years the College has believed that when it
  came to withdrawals, we werent that different
  from the national average but there was no
  national average. When other colleges were
  contacted, withdrawals were not measured
  consistently which made it impossible to compare.
• When we were invited to join the pilot group for
  the Benchmarking study, I was a strong supporter
  for comparing withdrawal rates.

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Different Definitions

• Withdrawal rates based on registration would look
  at the total number withdraws based on the total
  number of grades given (A,B,C,D,F,I,W). If one
  student takes four courses and withdraws from one
  course she was retained in 75 of her courses.
• Withdrawal rates based on headcount would look at
  the number of students who withdraw from all
  their courses and completely exit the college.
  If a college has 25,000 students and 2,500
  withdraw from all their courses and exit the
  college, they have an 90 retention rate.
• Many colleges are studying this 2nd group to
  determine what their trigger courses are what
  courses were these students taking that term when
  they dropped all their courses and left the
  college especially those who never come back.

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CPCC Students Who Withdraw from All Their Classes
and Exited the College
(14.6)
(14.4)
(14.6)
(14.2)
Based on Unduplicated Headcount
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CPCC Registrations and WithdrawalsBased on
Grades for Courses
(22)
(21.9)
(22.4)
(22.1)
Based on Total Registrations (seats)
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Issues with Student Withdrawals

• Community Colleges Withdrawal Policies
• Usually more liberal than the university and can
  impact transfer success
• Facilitates an A,B,C, I, W culture (we had this
  grading scale until Fall 1990 no Ds or Fs)
• Students dont commit early a wait and see
  philosophy
• Impacts retention rates, graduation rates and
  impacted by cheap tuition
• Impacted by systemic change (quarters to
  semesters, etc.)
• Is impacted by the culture (faculty, advisor and
  student attitudes and behaviors)

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CPCC Transfer Students at UNCC in 2000 (N3,446)

• Grades at CPCC at UNCC
• A 3,708 (26.4) 13,936 (22.8)
• B 2,573 (18.3) 16,000 (26.2)
• C 1,435 (10.2) 11,920 (19.5)
• percent A-C 54.9 68.5
• _______________________________________________
• D 340 (2.4) 4,797 (7.9)
• F 686 (4.9) 6,722 (11.0)
• Withdraw 4,357 (31) 6,117 (10)

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Do Withdrawals Really Impact Transfer Students?

• ..if 20 or more of all grades received (by
  community college students) were withdrawals and
  repeats, the probability of transfer decreases by
  38.7.
• Sources Moving Into Town and Moving On The
  Community College in the Lives of Traditional-age
  Students, U.S. Department of Education, 2005, p.
  85.

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Withdrawal Pattern from One Term Of the 39,946
Class Registrations
(26.2)
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Withdrawal Rates at the Collegeby Percent of
College Level Courses
35.4 26.1 27.5 27.2 23.4
22.8 21.9 22
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A look at One Student

• Jane Doe (not her real name) entered CPCC in the
  Fall 2000.
• She had the following Accu-placer College
  Placement Test Scores
• Test Score Placed
• Sentence Skills (Eng) 92 ENG 111
• Reading (comprehension and vocabulary) 90 N
  one (cut 79)
• Math Arithmetic 59
• Algebra 50 MAT 060

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HISTORY FILE DISPLAY S.S.NUM 000000000 TERM/YR
JANE ANN DOE (this is a real student
record) TRM COURSE TITLE HRS GRADE
DATE PROGCODE FAL 00 RED090 IMPROVED COLL
READ 4.0 C 12/18/00 T90990 FAL 00 GEL120
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY 4.0 F 12/18/00
T90990 FAL 00 HIS111 WORLD CIVIL I
3.0 C 12/18/00 T90990 FAL 00 MAT070
INTRO ALGEBRA 4.0 W 12/18/00 T90990 FAL
00 PSY150 GENERAL PSYC 3.0 W 12/18/00
T90990 FALL 2000 TERM GPA 1.27 TRM
COURSE TITLE HRS GRADE DATE PROGCODE SPR
01 MAT070 INTRO ALGEBRA 4.0 B
03/13/01 T90990 SPR 01 MAT080 INTERMED ALGEBRA
4.0 DRP 01/03/01 T90990 SPR 01 MAT080
INTERMED ALGEBRA 4.0 DRP 03/07/01
T90990 SPR 01 SPA181 SPANISH LAB 1
1.0 W 05/08/01 T90990 SPR 01 ENG111
EXPOSITORY WRITING 3.0 B 05/08/01
T90990 SPR 01 HIS112 WORLD CIVIL II
3.0 C 05/08/01 T90990 SPR 01 SPA111
ELEM SPANISH I 3.0 W 05/08/01
T90990 SPR 01 SOC210 INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY 3.0
C 05/08/01 T90990 SPRING 2001 TERM GPA
2.54
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TRM COURSE TITLE HRS GRADE DATE
PROGCODE SUM 01 MAT080 INTERMED ALGEBRA 4.0
B 07/03/01 T90990 SUM 01 ENG113 LIT-BASED
RESEARCH 3.0 C 07/31/01 T90990 SUM 2001
TERM GPA 2.57 TRM COURSE TITLE HRS
GRADE DATE PROGCODE FAL 01 MAT161 COLL. ALG.
3.0 W 12/18/01 T90990 FAL
01 REL211 INTRO TO OLD TEST 3.0 C
12/18/01 T90990 FAL 01 SPA111 ELEM SPANISH I
3.0 B 12/18/01 T90990 FAL 01
SPA181 SPANISH LAB 1 1.0 B
12/18/01 T90990 FAL 01 MUS110 MUSIC APPREC
3.0 C 12/18/01 T90990 FAL 01 GEL120
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY 4.0 W 12/18/01
T90990 FAL2001 TERM GPA 2.40 TRM
COURSE TITLE HRS GRADE DATE PROGCODE SPR
02 ENG231 AMERICAN LIT I 3.0 W
05/15/02 T90990 SPR 02 PSY150 GENERAL PSYC
3.0 C 05/15/02 T90990 SPR 02 SPA182
SPANISH LAB 2 1.0 I/F 01/31/03
T90990 SPR 02 SPA112 ELEM SPANISH II
3.0 I/F 01/31/03 T90990 SPR 02 COM231
PUBLIC SPEAKING 3.0 D 05/15/02
T90990 SPR 02 MAT161 COLL. ALG.
3.0 W 05/15/02 T90990 SPR2002 TERM GPA
0.90
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TRM COURSE TITLE HRS GRADE DATE
PROGCODE SUM 02 BIO110 PRINC OF BIOLOGY
4.0 W 07/29/02 A10100 SUM 02 MAT161 COLL.
ALG. 3.0 W 07/29/02 A10100 TRM COURSE
TITLE HRS GRADE DATE PROGCODE FAL 02
SPA112 ELEM SPANISH II 3.0 W
11/18/02 A10100 FAL 02 SPA182 SPANISH LAB 2
1.0 W 11/18/02 A10100 FAL 02
ENG241 BRITISH LIT I 3.0 W
12/18/02 A10100 FAL 02 PSY281 ABNORMAL
PSYC 3.0 W 12/18/02 A10100 FAL 02 HUM211 HUM
I 3.0 W 12/18/02
A10100 FAL 02 MAT140 SURVEY OF MATH
3.0 F 12/18/02 A10100 FAL 02 CIS110 INTRO
TO COMPUTERS 3.0 W 12/18/02 A10100 FAL 02
COM231 PUBLIC SPEAKING 3.0 W
12/18/02 A10100 FALL 02 ACADEMIC
INTERVENTION FALL 02 TERM GPA
0.00 TRM COURSE TITLE HRS GRADE DATE
PROGCODE SPR 03 MAT140 SURVEY OF MATH
3.0 W 05/19/03 A10100 SPR 03 PED122 YOGA I
1.0 W 05/19/03
A10100 SPR 03 COM231 PUBLIC SPEAKING
3.0 W 05/19/03 A10100 SPR 03 SPA182 SPANISH
LAB 2 1.0 W 05/19/03
A10100 SPR 03 SPA112 ELEM SPANISH II
3.0 W 05/19/03 A10100 SPR 03 PSY281
ABNORMAL PSYC 3.0 W 05/19/03
A10100 SPRING 2003 ACADEMIC INTERVENTION
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TRM COURSE TITLE HRS GRADE DATE
PROGCODE FAL 03 BIO110 PRINCIPLES OF BIOL
4.0 W 11/16/03 A10100 FAL 03 COM110 INTRO
TO COMMUN 3.0 W 11/16/03 A10100 FAL 03
SOC213 SOC OF THE FAMILY 3.0 W
11/16/03 A10100 FAL 03 ENG242 BRITISH LIT II
3.0 B 12/15/03 A10100 FAL 03
CJC112 CRIMINOLOGY 3.0 DRP
07/31/03 A10100 FALL 03 ACADEMIC SUSPENSION FALL
2003 TERM GPA 3.00 TRM COURSE TITLE
HRS GRADE DATE PROGCODE SPR 04 CHM121
FOUND. OF CHEM 3.0 W 02/19/04 A10100 SPR
04 CIS110 INTRO TO COMPUT 3.0 W
04/01/04 A10100 SPR 04 CHM121A CHEM LAB
1.0 W 02/19/04 A10100 SPR 04 MAT140
SURVEY OF MATH 3.0 W 04/12/04
A10100 SPR 04 COM120 INTERPERS COMMUN 3.0 W
04/12/04 A10100 SPRING 2004 ACADEMIC
INTERVENTION TRM COURSE TITLE HRS GRADE
DATE PROGCODE SUM 04 BIO110 PRINCIPLES OF
BIOL 4.0 B 07/20/04 A10100 SUMMER 2004
TERM GPA 3.00
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TRM COURSE TITLE HRS GRADE DATE
PROGCODE FAL 04 PSY241 DEVEL PSYCHOLOGY
3.0 B 12/09/04 A10100 FAL 04 GEL120
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY 4.0 C 12/10/04
A10100 FAL 04 SOC213 SOC OF THE FAMILY 3.0
A 12/13/04 A10100 FAL 04 PSY281 ABNOR
PSYCHOLOGY 3.0 B 12/12/04 A10100 FALL
2004 TERM GPA 2.92

• This Student Enrolled in 58 courses in
  approximately four years.
• She completed 20 (35.5) of them with grades of
  A-D.
• She flunked or withdrew from 38 (64.5) courses.
• She was allowed to change majors from undecided
  to the college transfer program code of
  Associate in Arts in the summer of 2002.
• She was placed on academic probation/intervention
  four times and immediately allowed to reenroll
  the next term in a full load of classes.

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Then Along Came the NCCBP

• We decided to look at withdrawal rates as a
  percentage of
• The grades in all college-level courses
• The grades in remedial courses
• The grades in certain college level courses
  (English Comp I II, Speech and College Algebra)
• We all submitted our data and guess where CPCC
  was in the mix???

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Data from the NCCBP Pilot Year GradeDistribution
for College Level Courses

• Min. Med. Max. CPCC
• A 26 33.4 45 26.1
• B 18 23.3 27 21.1
• C 6 13.9 17 12.7
• D 1 4 8 3.5
• F 2 4.9 15 6.7
• W 1 16.2 29.9 29.9

Definitions were slightly changed the next year.
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Response of the College

• We were appalled
• We decided to study the subject and
• Do a pilot intervention project
• The English, Reading and Humanities Division
  volunteered to facilitate the project within
  their courses with their fulltime instructors
• Brad Bostian volunteered to lead the initiative -
  
• The group began meeting in Fall 2004

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The Intervention

• In the Spring of 2005
• 11 courses were selected by faculty participating
  in the study
• 11 control sections were carefully matched based
  on time of day, location and course title
• Faculty volunteers discussed elements of the
  intervention and agreed upon the following
  standards

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The Intervention

• Students must sign a release form
• Students in the selected sections would have
  holds put on their records - not allowing them
  to withdraw from pilot courses during Spring 05
  without instructor permission
• If a student wanted to withdraw, the faculty
  attempted to work with them to keep them in the
  class as long as possible (offering assistance
  and additional help)
• Faculty agreed to do the following as part of
  regular classroom activities

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The Intervention

• First Day Strategies
• Provide a class orientation on the first day of
  class
• Student Info Sheets
• Documents, resources to assist with their success
  (writing center, tutors, librarians, etc.)
• A realistic discussion of the value of the skills
  to be learned in the course
• A syllabus with assignments and policies
  discussed
• A positive statement of your teaching philosophy
  and you belief in the students ultimate success
  in the course

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The Intervention

• Mini-communities
• Groups of 3-5 students who trade contact
  information, contact each other when someone is
  absent. Use these groups for peer-editing and
  group assignments and activities.
• Conferences
• Conference with each student in your office at
  least twice per term to discuss needs and
  progress. In between - provided continuous
  feedback about their progress.
• Contacting missing students
• Contact those who miss two consecutive class
  periods (besides the mini-communities)

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The Intervention

• Welcome back and reintegrate students who have
  been absent
• Treat tardies and early departures as absences
  have an attendance policy
• Positive teaching
• Try to involve every student every week
• Structure assignments to ensure continual student
  success (quizzes to make them keep up, rewrite
  until it is excellent, etc.)
• Active Authentic Assignments
• Assignments where they learn by doing, work that
  reflects the real world

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What Happened?

• By the 16 week of the term (end of term but
  before grades were turned in)

The Control Group The Control Group The Intervention Group The Intervention Group Entire Division Entire Division
Withdrawals for English Classes Withdrawals for English Classes            
             
7 - W 46 15.0 21 7.1 977 13.60
8 - Blank 209 68.3 217 73.3 4804 66.70
9 - Drop 51 16.7 58 19.6 1087 15.10
  Total 306   296   7207  
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Did it Impact Their Other Classes?
    The Control Group The Control Group The Intervention Group The Intervention Group
Withdrawals from all their classes Withdrawals from all their classes        
 
1 - A 6 0.40 5 0.40
2 - B 4 0.30 13 0.90
3 - C 5 0.30 7 0.50
4 - D 1 0.10 1 0.10
5 - F 3 0.20 6 0.40
7 - W 232 15.40 154 11.00
8 - Blank 950 63.00 947 67.60
9 - Drop 307 20.40 268 19.10
Total 1508   1401  
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Once Grades Were In..
Control Group Control Group Intervention Group Intervention Group
English, Classes A 66 25.9 58 24.4
B 73 28.6 78 32.8
C 31 12.2 32 13.4
D 2 .8 5 2.1
F 17 6.7 31 13.0
I 3 1.2 0 0
W 63 24.7 34 14.3
Unsuccessful Completions F, I, W 83 32.6 65 27.3
There were 5.3 fewer Ws, Is and Fs in the
Intervention Group when compared to the Control
Group
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What About Walk-Aways?
Students Who Withdrew From All Classes - Spring 2005 Students Who Withdrew From All Classes - Spring 2005 Students Who Withdrew From All Classes - Spring 2005 Students Who Withdrew From All Classes - Spring 2005
  Control Intervention Total
Total in cohort 300 287 587
       
who withdrew 30 21 51
who withdrew 10.0 7.3 8.7
There were 2.7 fewer walk-aways in the
intervention group as compared to the control
group.
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Lessons Learned

• The Intervention strategies worked.
• If we could decrease Ws, Is and Fs by 5.3
  across the College, there would be approximately
  2,450 additional successful completions per term.
• If we could reduce walk-aways by 2.7, there
  would be 65 more students complete each term.
• We need to study and address walk-aways.

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Recommendations

• Policies
• Support
• Instruction
• Policies
• Earlier withdrawal deadlines
• Instructor permission required
• -or-
• Set two W-methods, one early date for most Ws,
  with later withdrawals requiring instructor
  permission

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Recommendations (continued)

• Support
• Make support more systematic
• Advisement for all students, not just those in
  programs
• Interventions for perpetual W, Fs Drops
• Better training and technology for faculty
  advisors
• If necessary hire more staff

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Recommendations (continued)

• Instruction
• Change faculty/administrative culture
• Understand need for educating all students
• See the successes that exist
• Use aggregate AND individual instructor and
  student data to measure outcomes
• Train faculty to teach differently
• Keep our instructors learning

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Ranges of Drops and Withdrawals 2002-04
 English, Reading Humanities Best Worst   Range  
Ws By Instructor 11 29   18  
Drops By Instructor 3 12   9  
Success By Instructor 76 45   31  
Success Rates By Campus 69 61 (West) 49 8 20
Success Rates By Campus (Cato) 61 (West) (Virtual) 8 20
Success Rates By Course 77 47   30  
Success Rates By Course (REL 212) (HUM 160)   30  
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One Instructors Learning Curve
Successful Completions A-C Grades
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Different Instruction

• Engage students on the first day
• Meaningful, interesting, active work
• Use mostly active learning
• Let students seek and discover
• Force success
• Guide them through the steps like a coach
• Create a classroom community
• Collaborative learning, conferences, positive
  communication, involving every student

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For A Copy of This Presentation

• http//www.cpcc.edu/planning
• Click on studies and reports
• Withdrawal pilot presentation